KT and LG Uplus, which are suspected of hacking, are flocking to the National Assembly's request for voluntary reporting. The two telecommunication companies are in trouble but have not responded to voluntary reporting.
According to related industries on the 3rd, KT and LG Uplus are currently cooperating with the Ministry of Science and ICT to investigate the facts. However, this fact-finding survey is different from the government-private joint investigation team conducted at the time of the SK Telecom hacking incident. The fact-finding team only looks at the necessary parts based on the data submitted by the carrier arbitrarily, but the joint investigation team can even conduct a full investigation as in the case of SK Telecom.
The government and the National Assembly asked the two telecom service providers to report the situation more clearly. The Ministry of Science and ICT requested the voluntary report, saying, "The data posted on the dark web matches the data held by the two telecom service providers." Choi Min-hee, chairman of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, stressed that the government should delve into the reality of the hacking incident.
The two news agencies did not agree, citing the burden of voluntary reporting, saying, "No hacking circumstances have been found." Under the current information and communication network law, a joint public-private investigation team within the Ministry of Science and ICT cannot be formed unless a company voluntarily reports. The two telecommunications companies officially only made a fundamental position that they will actively cooperate with the current government investigation.
The industry sees low possibility for them to report voluntarily. This is because of the SK Telecom case. SK Telecom voluntarily reported the case right after the hacking incident and underwent a thorough investigation, and faced public criticism. The company announced that it would inject 500 billion won into the customer audit package and 700 billion won into strengthening information security. It was also fined 134.8 billion won by the Personal Information Protection Commission. As a company, it had to take big risks for a considerable period of time.
"The National Intelligence Service has detected and mentioned the situation of hacking of a conglomerate in the past, but there were cases in which it was useless," an industry source said. "There is no reason for a company to conduct a full investigation. It will only increase risks in the future."
Another official explained, "We cannot report recklessly even though no hacking situation has been found," adding, "Since voluntary reporting eventually means a full investigation, it is inevitably burdensome for companies that need to reduce risks."
Another official predicted, "As the National Assembly is actively stepping up, we will eventually accept the full investigation card."
Meanwhile, as KT and LG Uplus refused to voluntarily report the case, the National Assembly started strengthening legislation. Choi Soo-jin, a member of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, submitted to the National Assembly a partial amendment to the Information and Communication Network Act that strengthens the authority of the Ministry of Science and ICT to investigate responses to infringement and to submit data.
Chairman Choi Min-hee is preparing an amendment to the law that gives the authority to directly enter and investigate companies even in case of general infringement, fearing that companies do not voluntarily report.